Pearson Hardman v Acute Otitis Media
by windscryer
Summary: Mike-is-Harvey's-kid!AU. Mike has an earache, Harvey has a full day, and there is a conspiracy among the independent childcare professionals in New York City. But one problem at a time. Gen.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** If I'm the creator of this show and I can't remember that one of my main characters is thirty instead of four and he's not related in any way at all to the other... Yikes. (Translation: No. I don't own them.)

This is set in the same 'verse as my other Harvey-is-Mike's-dad!AU story, _I Wanna Do Everything You Do_, but reading it is not required, I don't think. (I won't complain, of course, but I don't think you'll be lost.)

Also, this is a WIP *knocks on wood* and this part is unbetaed because I am too impatient for that at the mo'. I'll try to do better on future installments.

Also, this is, once again, a response to a prompt on suits_meme. Good stuff there. :) This one is for huffydoo and I'll be posting the prompt at the end as usual.

* * *

><p>Harvey didn't claim to be as prescient as Donna. No one was as prescient as Donna.<p>

Still, he'd known somewhere in the back of his mind that Mike had been feeling off that morning. He'd turned down chocolate milk over his Rice Krispies for one thing and very little could make the kid turn down chocolate milk. He'd also been more sleepy than usual and a little grumpy, preferring to slouch in his chair and glare at the table, lip pushed out in a pout, instead of leaning forward and chattering about his dream the night before or what they were doing in preschool that day or the book he'd read last week on the Trojan War.

Harvey had chalked it up to a late night before and had Ray drive them to the daycare where he'd left Mike in Bonnie's capable hands.

But, he'd known—or, well, suspected at least—and so when Donna said that Bonnie was on the line, Harvey already knew what she was going to say.

"_I'm so sorry, Mr. Specter,_" she said after explaining that Mike had completed an hour and a half tantrum with a spectacular display of projectile vomiting and thus needed to be picked up. "_You know I don't mind having him even when he's unhappy, but state law—_"

"I'm well aware of the law," he reminded her, but softened his tone to take the sting out of it.

"_Oh. Right. Well... I tried to get a hold of Bridget, but can only get her voicemail._"

"Tuesday is her day off." Harvey glanced at Donna and said, "Let me see what I can do and call you back, okay, Bonnie?"

"_Okay,_" she said, sounding apologetic, but relieved. Given the fact that Harvey could hear Mike screaming in the background, he could understand the sentiment. "_Thank you, Mr. Specter._"

"I'll be in contact," he assured her. He hung up and blew out a breath, dragging a hand over his face.

Donna didn't wait for him to ask, she just entered his office and said, "Today's not a good day."

He gave her a wry smile and leaned back in his chair. "There's never a good day for your kid to be sick," he informed her.

She gave him a crooked smile in return and said, "I can reschedule your one-thirty, but the rest of it..."

He thought for a moment, then said, "Change that one-thirty to a doctor's appointment and leave the rest as is. I'm going to see if I can get a hold of Bridget."

"She's not going to budge. Even the best closer in the city can't change that woman's mind about her days off."

Harvey arched an eyebrow at the challenge to his skills and she raised her hands in surrender and backed out of the office. "Fine. If you want to choose arrogance over reality, that's your right to do so."

He watched her go with a sardonic smirk to cover the worry simmering in his stomach, then pulled up the number on his cell. "Hi, Bridget, this is Harvey Spect— Yes, I know it's your day off. No, I _do_ remember our agreement— Yes, I know we— I wouldn't be calling unless— I under— But I— Double overtime?" he managed to shoehorn in between her protests.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as she explained her plans for the day and why they were not negotiable. He understood that, really, he did. And he wouldn't have respected her if she'd caved too easily.

But he _really _needed her today.

"Okay, well, thank you for your time, Bridget. Yes. Uh huh. I'll see you tomorrow." Harvey ended the call.

"I told you—"

"You can gloat later, Donna. Right now I need to find a replacement."

She just watched him for a moment, then turned back to her desk. He ran through a mental list of substitute caregivers, then began dialing.

o.o

Ten minutes later he was beginning to rethink his stance on conspiracies against his personage.

Seriously, how could _every last one _of his approved babysitters and nannies be indisposed today? To the point of refusing an exorbitant bonus on top of their normal fees?

Donna entered, set down some files that had been dropped off by one of the associates, and said, "Bring him here, Harvey." He looked at her, giving her words consideration, despite the ridiculousness of the idea.

This wasn't a daycare, it was a law firm. On top of that, Mike was sick, so it's not like he would be quietly occupied with his Kindle in the corner. Harvey had meetings today with clients, some of them here in his office and others out in town.

It wasn't that he didn't love his son and wouldn't normally jump at the chance to spend time with him. Mike soaked up knowledge of the law like he did everything else and even at the age of four his answer to the question of "What do you want to be when you grow up?" was a quick and staunch, "Lawyer. Like my daddy," that made Harvey's outwardly swell with pride—and inwardly collapse in relief because he couldn't be doing too badly if his son wanted to be like him, right?

Occasionally after he read a book he'd say something more typical like police officer, fireman, microbiologist—okay, less typical, but that one had lasted almost a full month, record not since challenged by anything but lawyer—or the like, but mostly he wanted to be just like his father.

This wasn't about whether or not he wanted Mike here, though. Hell, if not for the meetings, Harvey would have happily brought the kid and kept him close as he worked. He was almost as clingy to Mike as Mike was to him when the kid was sick. Losing Mike's mother had made Harvey ever more sensitive to the horrifying possibility of losing his son, even if it had been an accident and not illness that had shrunk their little family.

Both were things that were largely out of Harvey's control, however, and he didn't _like_ things that were out of his control. That made _him _grumpy, as Donna had once informed Mike, much to his son's amusement.

Logistically, though, it just wasn't practical. Not today of all days.

Even tomorrow would have been better since he was set to bury himself in an older client's considerable legal document portfolio as part of an annual review. That could be done at home, thus freeing Harvey up to be with Mike.

Actually, that was a good point...

"Donna, clear the rest of my week—"

"Already done," she said. "Well, as much as possible. You still have that meeting with Bronwyn on Wednesday and that's the only day she's going to be in the US for the next three months, and a hearing with Judge Paloma on Friday morning." She raised her eyebrows and Harvey grimaced. Yeah, that was definitely not flexible either.

"What choice do you have?" she asked, sensing his hesitation. "You can't leave him there, you can't leave him home alone, and you can't find anyone to watch him. Bring him here. You know at least half of his fuss right now is that he's away from you."

And that was true, but it didn't fix the problem of Harvey's schedule.

"I still have meetings—" he started.

"Yes, but not all day. And not everyone in this building has meetings at the same time as you. Jessica will help watch him, you know she will."

Harvey gave her a _look_. "I am not dropping my kid off with my boss all day."

"I never suggested you should. She'd spoil him rotten for one thing. But she hasn't seen him in awhile and you know she loves him."

Harvey snorted. "When he's happy, yeah, everyone loves him. Kid can charm Judge Robertson, and you know how much she hates me. Even _Louis _loves him when he's happy, but right now? He's not happy."

"If you've got a better solution, by all means, take it."

Harvey made a moue of frustration, then sighed. "Fine." He stood and shook out his arms to resettle his jacket, then buttoned it as he rounded his desk. "Call Ray—"

"He's waiting downstairs."

"When's my next—"

"One hour."

Harvey stopped and frowned at her.

She shrugged one shoulder. "I pushed it back so you'd have time to stop by your condo and pick up a few things. Now go. Bring me my favorite future lawyer."

Harvey gave her a small smile of gratitude and got one in return, then left to retrieve his son.

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><p>Yes, I realize this means I have two WIPs started in two days. The world is supposed to end this year. Not only does that mean I'm in a time crunch, but it... makes me feel like taking risks, okay?<p>

Your thoughts would be much appreciated if you've got a mo'. :) More coming soon!


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello again, Mike," Ray said as he opened the door for Harvey. He got a tiny ripple of the four fingers attached to the thumb in Mike's mouth and a listless stare, but that was about all.

Harvey's hand rubbed up and down once over Mike's back as he exchanged wan smiles with his driver, then he bent and leaned in to put Mike into the waiting car seat Ray had reinstalled while Harvey was inside checking Mike out.

Mike let out an ear-splitting wail as he was pulled away from Harvey's shoulder, but Harvey just gritted his teeth and kept working. He didn't like the separation any more than Mike did, the threat of Mike's raised temperature and subsequent sweating to his suit's unwrinkled state notwithstanding, but he also wasn't going to do anything as stupid as holding the kid in his arms during a car ride.

He'd walk the twenty-seven blocks back to Pearson Hardman, carrying Mike and his fever the whole way, before he'd risk his life in a car unbelted.

Mike, though, was not having any of this nonsense about being separated from his father, even for the ten minute drive to the condo. He thrashed and twisted and screamed and kicked, making sure everyone in a five block radius knew he was unhappy with this situation.

Harvey sighed and undid the one strap he'd managed to get over Mike's arm, then pulled the kid back out and cradled him to his chest once more. He turned and leaned his hip against the car.

"Shhh," he soothed, rocking a little as he rubbed Mike's back.

Mike, worked up and not coming back down any time soon—some of his anger probably fueled by the pain of his ear and the upset tummy that had prompted Bonnie to call in the first place—just clung to his father's neck and wailed, fat tears overflowing and dripping down his cheeks and into Harvey's collar.

Ray stood patiently by and waited while Harvey did his best to bring his son whatever comfort he could and calm him down.

Finally Mike was down to just sniffling, the tears only occasionally welling up big enough to spill over. His thumb was back in his mouth, the other hand firmly attached to his ear as he restlessly tugged on it, trying vainly to ease the pain the only way his young brain could think of.

Sometimes Harvey forgot he had a four-year-old as he listened to the things that came from the kid's mouth after reading a book a decade beyond what he should have been interested in, let alone capable of comprehending. But for all those times, there were moments like this when he just _looked_ every bit as young as he actually was. As much as he loved watching Mike's ever increasing understanding of the world develop, he also savored these moments that proved he had many more years until he'd have to pack up the car and see Mike off to college.

At this particular moment, however, he just wished he could savor them from inside the car.

"Mike?" he finally said when he was fairly sure he had his logically-minded son back from the screaming tantrum monster of a moment before. He got no immediate verbal response, but craning his neck allowed him to see Mike's reddened eyes were locked on him.

"I know that right now you don't want to let me go. I don't want to let you go either."

Mike's hand released his ear, reaching across to grab a handful of Harvey's lapel opposite the shoulder his head was resting on and clutch at the fabric as a preemptive strike to being pulled away again. Harvey reached up and freed the wool blend, grimacing at Mike's whines of protest.

"It's only for a short drive to the condo and then to my work. You want to come to work with me?" Harvey offered. Mike loved any chance to spend time at Pearson Hardman pretending he was one of the lawyers that worked there, and usually a promise of a visit was enough to garner cooperation for the most unwanted of tasks.

"No!" Mike shouted, pulling his thumb out of mouth and using that hand to wrap around and grab a handful of the back of Harvey's jacket.

"Mike—"

"No!"

"Mike, we need to get in the— Mike, please! No— Stop that!"

"NO!" Mike shouted, tone and volume rising with each repetition. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOO!"

Harvey sighed, hung his head in defeat for a moment, then turned and squatted next to the open door. He pulled Mike off of his shoulder, clenching his jaw against the ever more strident protests and resolutely getting Mike into the seat. He knew he wasn't a bad father, but listening to Mike wail wasn't any easier for that knowledge.

Ray opened the front door after a moment and knelt on the seat, leaning over the back and helping Harvey contain Mike's limbs long enough to get him safely strapped down.

Mike arched his back and kicked his feet, the tears starting up again as he screamed and flailed in his rage.

Harvey raised his voice just enough to be heard over the noise and said, "Mike, I am sorry that you're upset and that we have to be separated, but I am not sorry that you're safe now."

Mike just screamed and swung a tiny fist trying to hit Harvey.

Harvey easily caught it, pressed a kiss to the knuckles, and then let Mike yank it back. He got a scowl of betrayal as Mike clutched the hand to his chest, smiled and said, "I love you," then stood and shut the door.

Only when his back was safely turned did he let the weariness and sorrow show on his own face, and then only for a brief second before he shored up his mask and turned to Ray.

"We'll need to stop by the condo and get some things, but I'd rather not have to go through all that again—"

"No worries, Mr. Specter. If he doesn't fall asleep on the way over, I'll just turn up the music and let him sing along with Miles."

Harvey wearily grinned his thanks and nodded, then turned to look at the car. Even with the sound-proofing, Mike's screams could clearly be heard. That promised an afternoon of ringing bells haunting Harvey, but there was nothing to be done about it, so with one last deep breath for patience and wisdom, he circled the car and got in.

Ray drove as quickly as he could safely do so in morning traffic.

o.o

Mike hadn't fallen asleep by the time they got to the condo and Harvey grimaced, but Ray just met his gaze in the mirror and said, "Go. We'll be fine here."

Harvey nodded and got out, striding quickly across the street and through the door. He acknowledged the doorman's greeting with a nod and then jogged the last few steps into the elevator that was just about to close.

His fingers drummed on his thigh as he watched the floor display count up until he realized he was doing it, then he clenched his fist, breathed out slowly, and straightened the digits, deliberately refusing to let them twitch again.

He fumbled the key a little getting it into the lock, but managed it after a moment, internally delivering a stern lecture on how he needed to remain calm and probably give Ray a bonus for putting up with him on days like this. A whirlwind tour of the apartment followed as he assembled the supplies he'd need—a backpack with toys, Mike's Kindle and a few books—because sometimes the kid just liked to be able to turn the pages; snacks and juice boxes; his blankie, pillow, and stuffed tiger; a few changes of clothes—for both of them in case of more vomit; some diapers and wipes as another precaution, the first aid kit with the Children's Tylenol...

He looked at the pile he'd gathered, turned a quick circle to look at the apartment once more and see if anything caught his eye, then started to pack everything into a duffel except for the things in the backpack and his spare clothes which went into a garment bag. He stopped halfway through with a, "Music!" and went to retrieve Mike's iPod from the boombox adapter in his room.

With Harvey's presence a factor, soft jazz on the record player would probably suffice for naptime, but just in case it didn't Harvey didn't want to be without the tried and true tunes on the MP3 player.

One or two more additions made their way into the bag, then Harvey yanked the zipper closed, picked up the handles for it and the backpack, swung the garment bag over his shoulder, and left the apartment behind once more.

o.o

"Do want help getting all of this upstairs?" Ray asked as he opened the trunk for Harvey to retrieve the bags, but Harvey shook his head.

"No, I can get it." He did smile, though, and said, sincerely, "Thank you."

"No problem, Mr. Specter. I just hope he's feeling better soon—for both your sakes."

Harvey huffed a laugh and settled the duffel more comfortably on his shoulder, then followed Ray around to Mike's door.

Opening it allowed the full volume of the screams to be heard and the pigeons nearby all took flight at the sound. Harvey just leaned down, undid the buckles, and pulled Mike free. Finally granted the escape he'd desired, Mike reacted by throwing his arms and legs out in every direction and flailing them about to prevent any further attempts to contain him.

Ray was a godsend once more when he caught the garment bag before it could hit the ground. Harvey flashed him a smile of thanks, settled Mike more firmly in his arm and accepted the bag once more.

Even after all that it took Harvey a few precious minutes of swaying and humming softly for Mike to realize that he was back where he wanted to be.

He pushed on Harvey's chest so he could look his father in the eye, corners of his lips still pulled down as he sniffed and hiccuped his way through the dregs of his tears.

"Better?" Harvey asked.

Mike wiped the back of his hand over his nose, sniffed again, then laid back down and stuck his thumb in his mouth. His free hand snaked between Harvey's arm and his side and wrapped around the back, regaining a solid hold on the material there.

And this was why Harvey had a spare suit waiting. This jacket was very quickly becoming unsuitable for the meetings he'd have to attend.

"Thanks," he told Ray again as he bounced a little to shift his loads into more comfortable and stable places.

Ray nodded and shut the door and Harvey set off for the building, exhaling slowly and mentally preparing himself for what promised to be a very long day.

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><p>Your thoughts would be much appreciated if you've got a mo'. :) More coming soon!<p> 


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